What You Can Do with a Z-Wave Motion Sensor

There are endless possibilities when it comes to motion sensors and home automation in general. Of course, you can use a Z-Wave motion sensor to turn on outdoor floodlights or to notify you when movement is detected while you are away. That’s really useful, don’t get us wrong, but there’s so much more you can do with a Z-Wave motion sensor!

Check out some of these examples:

Welcome home, honey!Put your new smart motion sensor on the outside of your garage so that it covers your driveway. That way, your smart home will know when you drive up, and you can have it automatically open your garage door, turn on the outside lights, and even unlock your doors.

Don’t stub your toes!Here's one that can help you out when you wake up in the middle of the night. Put a motion sensor in the hallway or even under your bed! Pair it with a light set at 20% or less, and you can have a smart nightlight to keep you from hurting your toes as you make your way to the kitchen for that midnight snack!

Keep it cool, baby!The main thing that makes smart homes “smart” is that they respond to the people who live in them, and motion sensors significantly help them do that. You can make your environment truly respond by turning on fans or fine-tuning your HVAC system when you come into a room or come home. So, if you set up a motion sensor in your living room, you can have your thermostat kick on when motion is detected.

Check your mail!What? This has got to be the coolest idea we’ve heard, but it’s so simple. To keep from waiting endlessly for that package, just put a tiny motion sensor inside your mailbox. When the mailman opens it, you can get an alert on your smartphone or tablet. It's that easy!

Don’t get dressed in the dark!Motion sensors and Z-Wave lights go together like chocolate and peanut butter. Put a Z-Wave motion sensor in your closet and connect it to your light so that it comes on when you walk in.

Keep critters out!There are places in your home where you don’t want to see movement like a basement or attic. So you can put Z-Wave motion detectors in the storage spaces where you don’t want little critters and get alerts if they find their way into your home.

Comparison of The Best Z-Wave Motion Sensors

Zooz

Ecolink

Fibaro

Aeotec

Z-Wave Plus

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Power Source

Battery or USB

Battery

Battery

Battery or USB

Configurable

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Range

20ft

20ft

40ft

80ft

Sensors

Motion

Motion

MotionLightTempVibration

MotionLightTempUVVibrationHumidity

The Best Z-Wave Motion Sensors

Incorporating Z-Wave motion sensors into to your home automation system can really take it to the next level, but you need to choose sensors that will work for your needs and fit seamlessly into your network.

We’ve put together this list of some of the best sensors so you can choose the right Z-Wave motion sensor for your home!

The sensitivity can be a problem because it’s definitely not pet immune, but to be honest, most "Pet Immune" motion sensors, will still detect a cat jumping or a huge dog.

Unfortunately, since this is an entry level sensor, you can’t configure the sensitivity or any other options with your hub. Regardless, this is a great motion sensor for the price, that I would highly suggest if you're on a budget!

The Best Value Z-Wave Motion SensorEcolink Z-Wave PIR Motion Detector

Now as I said above, complete pet immunity is nearly impossible, but having a "pet immune" sensor means you can adjust the sensitivity toy our liking.

For example, you could configure the sensitivity to be just low enough where your cat isn't detected walking down the stairs, but not so low where humans can walk past undetected.

This sensor also features a great battery life so you don’t have to worry about that. We here at Z-Wave Zone can personally attest to that, as we've been using a few of these motion sensors for over a year and the battery has only dropped 20%.

Since the Ecolink connects with many different hubs and still has a low price point, this is, in our opinion, the best value Z-Wave motion sensor on the market!

The Best Z-Wave Motion SensorFibaro FGMS-001 Z-Wave Motion Sensor

Not only does the Fibaro sense motion, but also temperature, vibration, and light. When it comes to design, this is seriously the coolest looking smart motion sensor out there with an LED display that looks like a cat’s eye.

What makes this device particularly great is the customization it offers. You can set the brightness, the sensitivity, and even the color on the eye, all via your hub! If having a literal sensor eye freaks you out, you can turn it off so that you just have a small sensor that blends in with your decor.

This motion sensor is a bit on the pricey end, but it is absolutely worth it. In fact, this is our go to motion sensor, as we have many of these set up on our system!

Like the Fibaro, the Aeotec senses motion, temperature, vibration, and light, but it also senses humidity and UV light, both of which can be super important fucntions for HVAC control. For example, you could put one outside to help your HVAC system respond to outdoor temperatures, and also put one inside so that you can make your home perfectly comfortable to you!

Conclusion

With a good Z-Wave motion sensor, you can really get your smart home to respond to you. In addition to connecting to security cameras, you can set up motion sensors in all sorts of places around your home to turn on lights or other devices.

With the new generation of Z-Wave sensors, you get more than just motion, so you can also connect seamlessly with your HVAC system, home theater, or other home devices! Since motion sensors tell your system when someone is in a room, they can be great triggers for changing the environment, everything from lights to temperature. Programmability even allows you to turn them off and on at night to maximize your Z-Wave system.

Motion sensors are pretty great! :)​

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